


Illicit

by ladydragon76



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Lighthearted Crackiness, M/M, sticky smut, with some mention of off-screen physical abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-10 00:20:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18927499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladydragon76/pseuds/ladydragon76
Summary: Summary:When cross-faction affairs get found out.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Flyby Stardancer (FlybyStardancer)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlybyStardancer/gifts).



> **'Verse:** G1  
>  **Series:** None  
>  **Rating:** NC-17  
>  **Characters:** Jazz/Thundercracker, Prowl/Skywarp, Optimus Prime/Starscream, and more.  
>  **Warnings:** Sticky Smut, Lighthearted Crackiness, with some mention of off-screen physical abuse,  
>  **Notes:** Reward ficcy for Flyby! ^_^

There was something _off_ about the cavern system when Jazz arrived. It left his Spidey senses tingling, and he entered it more cautiously than usual- which wasn't to say he wasn't really damn careful about every step he took in this clandestine little affair, but _now_...

However, standing in the dark wasn't going to help, and Jazz couldn't hear anything over the rather louder rush of water. Pits, he thought, that was probably it. The recent rains had made the little cave stream flood its shallow banks, and everything just sounded different as it babbled and echoed its way out the mouth of the first cave and away into the woods.

See, Jazzy, he said to himself and gave a little skipping jump over the stream, nothing to be spooked over. His feet splashed a bit as he made his way to the cozy little nook he and Thundercracker had claimed for themselves, but that's when he heard it. 

Jazz knew that sound, and his spark bottomed out a little. Had Thundercracker brought someone else along and then not waited for Jazz? Had he forgotten Jazz was coming?

No, that was ridiculous. Thundercracker was a considerate mech, surprisingly sweet and romantic once Jazz got in under all those walls- something he respected because it sure took him a while to relax too.

But then whose turbines were spinning up like that?

Terminally curious, and knowing he'd never be able to relax until he knew for sure who was in his love nest, Jazz crept forward, nearly startling out of his plating when Thundercracker appeared out of the shadows.

"Ok, so you hear it too?" Thundercracker whispered.

"Yup," Jazz replied, his spark unclenching a bit now that he had proof that it wasn't Thundercracker who- "Oh no," he whispered and hurried on silent feet toward a different branching tunnel. He knew that moan!

But knowing and seeing were two very different things, and Jazz really shouldn't be so tempted to take illicit image captures of Starscream being so thoroughly fragged by Optimus Prime, but damn they made a pretty sight. Until Starscream's head lolled to the side and he spotted Jazz.

The shriek echoed painfully.

"Get out!" Starscream shrilled even as he kicked and shoved at Optimus, and Jazz had to bite down on the urge to ask the Seeker whether he was talking to him or Optimus. Accusing red optics turned on Optimus as he pushed himself back, big hands trying to hide a rather impressive spike from Jazz and Thundercracker's sight. "You said you weren't followed!"

"I wasn't!" Optimus protested.

"He wasn't," Jazz agreed and gestured back at Thundercracker. "Came here ta meet my beau."

"Hi, TC. What's going on here?" a new voice asked from behind Jazz, and he whipped around to see a curious Skywarp and rather sheepish looking Prowl.

"We just arrived and heard a ruckus," Prowl said, and Jazz could see on his FLIR how _hot_ Prowl's face was.

Two and two and two made six, and Jazz's laugh filled the cave despite the armor-smelting glare Starscream aimed at him as he scrambled to his feet. Poor Optimus was having a bit more trouble shutting his panel and standing. "No, no... Oh Primus frag me," Jazz gasped through cackling laughter as he more or less collapsed against the rock wall.

"I don't get it?"

"Jazz and Thundercracker are here to see each other," Prowl explained with a gentle patience that told Jazz a great deal. "Clearly, they were surprised to find Starscream and Optimus already... engaged."

Starscream hissed, but it was nearly drowned out by Thundercracker's sudden bark of laughter. It was all rather ridiculous, Jazz thought. It was impressive they had managed to keep the secrets this long, but perhaps that was because Jazz himself had been only too happy to ignore the signs -signs he now thought he could see a few of in hindsight- so he could do his own sneaking around.

"What do we do now, sir?" Prowl asked a still very uncomfortable Prime. "I would be willing to submit myself to a court marshal, but that would bring both you and Jazz down with me."

"Bless your spark, Prowler," Jazz giggled. Seriously, bless the silly glitch, because he wasn't making a threat, just being as sincere and genuine as he usually was.

"This is hardly a laughing matter, Jazz," Prowl said stiffly.

"No, let him laugh," Starscream sneered while deftly cleaning the lubricant from his inner thighs, having apparently decided to pretend at unaffected snobbery now to carry him through. "I'm counting how many times I'm going to shoot him."

Thundercracker growled a little at that threat -which was sweet- but Jazz wasn't worried. "Well, cats're all outta the bag now. How'd you two meet, Prowler?"

"I glomped him," Skywarp stated proudly, snatching Prowl up into a cuddle as if the Praxian weren't anything heavier than a teddy bear. Yeah, Jazz liked how easily Thundercracker could handle him too. "It made him hot, so I fragged him."

Starscream groaned so deeply a million angsty human teenagers suddenly went jealous without knowing why. "Are we _really_ going to do this?"

"Me first!" Skywarp dragged Prowl to the floor and into his lap, wide smile on his face. "I'm so fraggin' glad I can _finally_ tell you guys! It's been so hard to keep it a secret!"

Jazz grinned and plopped himself to the floor, leaning to the side just a bit once Thundercracker sat next to him. Starscream rolled his optics and threw himself to the floor, leaving poor awkward Optimus to shuffle his feet before sitting back down- just out of reach of wickedly sharp claws, Jazz noted.

"So it was about four months ago," Skywarp began.

~ | ~

Skywarp heard the deep _thoom-poof_ of an explosion and transformed midair just in time to catch the grey streak hurdling toward him. Before he could get his bearings well enough to teleport away, they were both tumbling aft over helm through the air to crash into the side of a large building.

Rubble knocked and clattered as Skywarp shoved it aside and looked at the mech- Autobot on top of him. "Ya know, Screamer told Megatron that a pillow bomb wouldn't be effective. Guess he was wrong, huh?"

Prowl braced his hands on Skywarp's chest to push himself up, and Skywarp shivered a little as fingers slipped into the turbines there. "Pillow bomb," was repeated in a flat, if a bit annoyed, tone.

"Yup," Skywarp replied, hands lifting to curl his fingers around the Praxian's waist. He wasn't sure what he planned to do. His wings were pinched under him, but there was a cute little mech straddling his hips with his fingers in his vents, and Skywarp knew where he'd _like_ to do about it.

Bright blue optics sharpened and those fingers curled and tightened, and Skywarp was reminded that Praxians had retractable talons too. "Whatever you are thinking, stop."

"Not thinking is kinda hard for me," Skywarp said. "No one ever believes that, but my processors never shut up."

Prowl's head tipped and his lips quirked up at the corners. "Is that so?"

"See, they all say that, and I know _you're_ teasing me." Skywarp let his hands roam a bit, enjoying the simple tactile sensations of smooth plating under his fingertips.

"Is there a reason you're groping me?"

Skywarp lifted his gaze back to Prowl's. "You feel nice." He gave it a short thought, remembering all he'd been told. The stuff Thundercracker repeated more and more since Vortex turned up. "I can stop?"

Prowl glanced over his shoulder and out though the hole they had made. "Yes, we should."

Skywarp grinned. "Cuz the battle, huh?"

"Yes."

Skywarp sat up and slid his arms around Prowl's waist, tipping his head in close. "Ok. But if you want to meet some other time, I would do it."

"That would be a fine way to trap you and take you prisoner," Prowl replied, his voice softer, but he didn't pull away.

~

"So I pinged him my comm code, and then like a couple days later he called me and it wasn't a trap at all," Skywarp finished- proudly, if Jazz was any judge of tone and inflection.

Prowl's face glowed hot pink. "It wasn't _quite_ like that. My foot was caught under a piece of wall, and my blaster had fallen behind him."

Skywarp's optics went wide and bright red. "You were going for a _gun_?! Sweetspark!"

"I didn't shoot you, if you recall," Prowl said. "And when we did meet up, I did not take you prisoner."

Jazz watched Skywarp's face go soft and a bit dopey. "Yeah... That's true."

"Ain't y'all cute," Jazz cooed for the pleasure of watching Prowl's face flame more before looking over at Optimus and Starscream.

"Frag yourself, Autobot," Starscream snapped.

"We met the same day," Thundercracker said almost before Starscream finished his sentence. "But we had both taken cover in the same spot."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out [my post here on DW](https://ladydragon76.dreamwidth.org/334490.html) for more info on me and what I'm up to!


	2. Chapter 2

Thundercracker stared into a blue visor, his own optics wide.

Starscream had warned Megatron that the weapon wasn't stable, nor was it a good idea, but Thundercracker knew from watching Starscream fail not to waste his time trying to convince Megatron of anything. Still it was no surprise when the invention blew itself to the Pits.

No, the surprise was suddenly being nose to nose with _Jazz_!

Thundercracker flung himself back, fuel dumping into his thrusters even as he tried to get his feet under himself again. Jazz's hand snatched out, caught Thundercracker's collar faring, and _yanked_. Thundercracker held his respiration as all motion stopped, Jazz's fingers still gripping him tight, Thundercracker's trapped under himself, barely holding himself off the ground and unable to fight back without being more vulnerable. He waited for pain, possibly death- stasis cuffs at least...

Instead, other than a few whistles and _thock-ting_ against the nearby trees, nothing happened.

One red optic was peeled open, and Thundercracker met an overbright and slightly pale blue visor.

Jazz gave a nervous chuckle and relaxed his grip. "Close, my mech. That was real damn close."

Thundercracker eased back and glanced around, optics catching on a sharp, thin scrap of metal embedded in the tree right about where his head had been. "Oh frag." No... _Oh. Frag!_ Because Jazz had just saved Thundercracker's life and that was no little thing across faction lines. "Thanks," Thundercracker said -gasped- belatedly.

"No problem," Jazz grinned and peeked back out at the battle. "Ain't been a death in a while, and I wanna keep it that way."

"Really?" Thundercracker asked, surprised. Everyone was dead sure that the only reason Jazz hadn't snuffed all their sparks on one of his many forays into the _Victory_ was because Prime wouldn't let him.

"Yeah, really," Jazz replied with a bit of a grin, and Thundercracker was suddenly aware of how close their heads- their _faces_ were.

Jazz really was a very pretty mech.

Thundercracker flicked his wings, trying to cast off the thought, but by the way the light behind Jazz's visor shifted, he'd noticed. The slow grin confirmed it.

"So... Come here often?" Jazz asked, voice shading into unmistakable seduction despite the playful nudge of his field and the silly words.

Thundercracker smirked, well used to idiots who knew they were cute. "Can't say I do." And if his already deep voice rumbled a bit more in the way that could even melt Starscream out of a snit, all the better.

The grin on Jazz's lips spread into a smile that reminded Thundercracker of the other, more pleasant, reputation the spy had. Then those pretty lips were pressed to Thundercracker's just as plush and warm and welcoming as they looked. Thundercracker caught himself leaning into it, lips parting so he could lick out for a taste. Jazz smelled of asphalt and plasma rounds and something sweetly organic that Thundercracker couldn't identify but liked.

"Mm..." Jazz hummed and pulled back. "Much as I'd like ta continue that, your boss called for a retreat and Warp's missin', and mine's hollerin' about Prowl, and I can't raise him on comms either."

"Shame," Thundercracker purred and meant it.

"Raincheck?" Jazz asked, and Thundercracker's comms pinged with a new frequency.

"Sure," Thundercracker said- because it was the polite response to the mech who'd saved one's life. "I'll ping you if I can get out some time this week." No, he wouldn't, because that was called treason. It was also called stupid. Soundwave would find out, and then Megatron would find out, and then Thundercracker would be very wingless and very dead. But already Thundercracker wanted another kiss, and he was honest enough with himself to admit he really might change his mind in a few days and meet up with the Autobots' most deadly spy regardless of how idiotic the idea was.

Jazz's field brushed teasingly along Thundercracker's as he hopped over the old broken wall, and Thundercracker couldn't help but watch the sway of a cute little aft and imagine how it'd feel cupped in his hands.

"Frag me," Thundercracker sighed. He was absolutely going to be that stupid.

~

"Guess it wasn't that stupid after all," Thundercracker said as he finished talking, optics shifting over the other two pairs with a smirk.

Jazz giggled and snuggled into his Seeker's side and pinned Optimus with a look. "Com'on, bossbot. Do tell."

Optimus glanced at Starscream, but he did nothing but glare off to the side. "I believe we began seeing each other a few months before that particular battle. It was still winter then, and I'd been feeling stir-crazy thanks to all the snow. I honestly don't know what drew me here, but when I arrived there was flickering firelight."

"The idiot thought I was a lost human!" Starscream cut in. "Didn't even bother running a base level scan for a Cybertronian signal." He heaved a sigh and shook his head, and Jazz got it. Between Jazz, Prowl, Ironhide, Ratchet, _and_ Red Alert admonishing Optimus to be more cautious, Jazz was very familiar with the frustration coloring Starscream's words.

"Why would I think a Decepticon would be in a cave so close to Autobot territory?" Optimus asked, but his shoulders hunched as Starscream, Prowl, and Jazz gave him a collective _look_.

Optimus heaved a sigh. "I did think he was a human, so yes, I did simply walk in, concerned about a life in danger."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out [my post here on DW](https://ladydragon76.dreamwidth.org/334490.html) for more info on me and what I'm up to!


	3. Chapter 3

Optimus drew up short at the sight of Starscream, the Seeker's dented plating visible despite the dim, flickering firelight and shadows playing over him. "Starscream?" There was a nullray pointed directly at Optimus, but rather than fear, concern tugged at his spark. "Do you need help?"

The weapon wavered and dropped, Starscream looking exhausted. His pretty face was haggard, and his wings hung low on his back. Optimus held his hands up in front of him a little to show he wasn't armed. "Let me help," he said softly.

"Whatever." But when Optimus reached out, Starscream remained still, his field drawn in tight.

"I won't hurt you," Optimus said as he took out his first aid kit. "Truce until our next battle?"

"You're a fool."

"So I've been told," Optimus replied, careful as he wiped up some energon and checked the lines near it to see if they needed patched. "Still, if you don't attack me, then I won't attack you. I went out for a drive and walk to relax, not to fight."

Starscream made a soft sound that Optimus couldn't really interpret, but since the Seeker remained passive, he took that as agreement enough.

The time passed surprisingly comfortably between them. Occasionally Starscream would put more wood on his little fire, but for the most part the silence was only broken by Optimus stating what he was about to do or asking after pain he might be causing. It was dark before all the damage was tended as much as Optimus' skills allowed. Personally, he'd rather take Starscream to Ratchet, but knew better than to suggest such a thing. Optimus also thought he knew how these injuries had come to be, but he wasn't going to say a single word about it. Starscream wouldn't appreciate it, and then there went their quiet time.

"I need to get back before I'm missed," Optimus said, allowing the apology to filter into his field as well. "If you ever need help, contact me." And then Optimus did the dumbest thing of his life and gave his second most dangerous enemy his personal comm code.

Optimus left not expecting to ever hear from Starscream again, so when he was pinged coordinates to the cave only a week later, he figured he was walking into a trap. Regardless, he packed a few energon goodies, a pair of nutrition grade cubes, and drove out after logging the general area he planned to drive for some 'personal time'. Starscream was there, old wounds mostly healed, but a new gash under his left optic.

"That looks painful," Optimus said as casually as he could and laid out their picnic beside the ashes of the last fire. "Want me to see if I have any nanite gel? I usually have some..." He trailed off and dug into his subspace for the first aid kit, and right where he knew it would absolutely be, was the nanite gel.

Starscream allowed Optimus to clean and dress the cut, then grumbled about how spoiled Autobots were while eating two-thirds of the treats as well as polishing off the cube of energon. Optimus rambled about the weather, how he enjoyed the crispness of winter, the beauty of fresh snow, and how nice a hot wash was after coming back inside. Starscream spoke of the cold desalinated water the _Victory_ had and how he'd rigged up his own personal water heater. How when his trine managed to avoid annoying him, he would let them use it. Optimus listened, he asked questions, he tried to truly understand Starscream without prying and making the prickly Seeker clam up.

He was not always successful, but Optimus tried, and after a half dozen meetings, when spring was just starting to force its way out over winter's grip, he was rewarded. Optimus finally got to see the mech Skyfire insisted Starscream had once been. The Seeker was excited about a project- "Nothing to annoy you Autobots or break any of the squishies," Starscream assured. -and then he proceeded to tell Optimus all about the new converter he was attempting. One which would collect energon from the very currents of the ocean around the Decepticon base.

Optimus was genuinely fascinated, not just by the idea, but by Starscream himself.

Their next meeting was less cheerful. Optimus arrived to find Starscream huddled up, a very obvious dent in his shoulder and the telltale tracks of tears on his cheeks.

"He found it," was all Starscream said, and Optimus was across the cavern and holding the Seeker before he could question the action. Starscream went tense at first, but then curled in close and stayed there until Optimus had to leave. They didn't speak, but Optimus thought of that day as the turning point in their friendship.

Only days after, Optimus received another ping. This time he hesitated going, not because he didn't wish to see Starscream, know that the Seeker was well, but because Prowl had questioned all his drives of late. Optimus was not an accomplished liar, but his reply about enjoying the scenery and peace while it lasted must have been good enough to draw Prowl off, but that had only been the day before. Did Optimus dare leave again so soon? Did he dare ignore Starscream's call after so much progress?

It turned out that Optimus dare not ignore the Seeker. He could no more resist leaving the _Ark_ than he could stop his spark from pulsing. And that would have been the most frightening of discoveries if he hadn't entered the cave only to end up with an armful of Seeker.

"Open," Starscream demanded, sharp talon rapping on Optimus battlemask.

Optimus obeyed only to be kissed hungrily and dragged farther into the caves. "Are you sure?" he asked as Starscream dragged him down to a berth of piled up old canvas tarps.

"Shut up," Starscream said and kissed him again, so Optimus obeyed, too greedy himself to question it more. He explored silky smooth plating, mouth seeking out all the spots which would make Starscream moan or whimper, and when he retracted his panel-

~

"Shut! Up!" Starscream snapped, blue hand lashing out to smack Prime in the arm. "They don't need to know that much!"

Jazz snickered. "I wouldn't mind knowin'."

"That's because you're a pervert," Thundercracker said deadpan, and made Jazz laugh harder.

"As glad as I am that all of us seem to have developed honest relationships," Prowl began, "we do have a serious issue to discuss."

"How ta end the war so we can spend our days 'facin' our sweetsparks?" Jazz asked.

"Pit yeah!" Skywarp cheered and snuggled Prowl tighter.

"I would like nothing more than to end the war," Optimus said and reached out to Starscream. "I think Starscream and I, at least, understand and trust one another and that the old ways must die. But I also have learned more about Megatron in recent months. I... no longer am sure we will ever reach an accord."

Starscream rolled his optics, and Jazz felt Prowl's field flicker annoyance, but Jazz himself simply ached for his Prime. "A few months ago, I didn't think I'd have fallen for a 'Con, or that he'd have fallen back. We always got hope, Op."

"He has backed off of late," Starscream said, dark face heating. "Megatron, I mean. He still seems to think I'm up to something, but he hasn't lashed out since that last time Optimus mentioned." Red optics shifted to Optimus. "You can't stop hoping or trying. It's intrinsically you."

'And I need you to keep hoping' was heard loud and clear by all of them despite Starscream not speaking the words.

The Seeker was drawn close and held tight by Optimus, and Jazz smiled. "Where there's a will there's a way, and we got six pretty damn strong wills here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out [my post here on DW](https://ladydragon76.dreamwidth.org/334490.html) for more info on me and what I'm up to!


	4. Epilogue

Optimus hurried out to the cave early on a beautiful summer morning. They had worked out which days of the week belonged to which couple, and this was Optimus and Starscream's. It also helped that they now were covering for one another instead of avoiding each other for fear of discovery. Starscream had even reported a more comfortable relationship with his trine in the months following their fateful meeting. Optimus was happy.

So happy, apparently, that he missed the sounds of coupling until he was at the entrance of the cave.

"Megatron!" Optimus yelped, then sputtered out, "Sideswipe? Sunstreaker?!"

Sideswipe offered a little wave from where he lay on his back, legs wound about Megatron's hips. "Hey, Prime. Fancy meeting you here.

" _Why_ are you here?" Sunstreaker asked, his hands still clamped to Megatron's hips- mid thrust.

Megatron simply stared back, looking as stunned as Optimus felt.

Then the situation clicked into place, and Optimus stomped forward to glare down at the trio, arms thrown out wide. "Really?! Primus! _Really_?!" he demanded again, optics locked on Megatron's. "Why the hell are we still at war when half our people are fragging across faction lines?!"

"Half?" Megatron asked, glancing over his shoulder at Sunstreaker, then down to Sideswipe before returning his gaze to Optimus. "Who?"

Optimus growled and crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh, no! I'm not outing anyone before we have a solid peace treaty. This is fucking ridiculous!" He threw his arms out again and spun away, pinging Starscream a set of backup coordinates.

At the 'doorway', Optimus turned back and jabbed a finger at the three of them. "And for future reference, Saturdays are _my_ day here!" He had the delight of seeing understanding burst across three faces before he whipped around once more and stormed out of the cave.

Peace followed quickly, and it turned out Optimus' estimate was a bit off. It was not half their people, but closer to three-quarters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out [my post here on DW](https://ladydragon76.dreamwidth.org/334490.html) for more info on me and what I'm up to!

**Author's Note:**

> Check out [my post here on DW](https://ladydragon76.dreamwidth.org/334490.html) for more info on me and what I'm up to!


End file.
